Saturday, December 3, 2016

- On a roll

Patch #338 Moon-cast

Just before Griffin's birthday on November 14, it came to my attention that a super moon was in the offing. Not surprisingly, I was delighted to learn that G was born under a new moon four years earlier.

Then, a few days before Meg's birthday on November 30, I saw one of my favorite configurations in the early morning sky: a waning crescent hanging from the morning star. When was the next new moon? I wondered.

Well I'm not quite sure how I ever survived without the instant gratification of the Internet. Suffice it to say upon learning the new moon was falling on Meg's birthday, I looked to see what phase the moon was in when she was born in 1982. If you guessed it was full, you can imagine my glee.

So I stitched two full moons and two new moons (drawn by hand because circles never stitch perfectly round even when I trace them) to remember what else I learned ...

The new moon in April is the same day as Meg's baby girl is due. So mark your calendars: April 26, 2017!

And because today is rainy and cold, I'm taking full advantage of the inside time to catch up on a few more patches.

Next year, a new moon, La Luna, a new girl grandchild, just about the best joyful and loving news for the new year. Blessings to all in your family Liz. A special little hug for the big brother to be Griffin.

Tension is usually the main culprit. What was interesting was that I ended up finding a rhythm that took me outside the drawn lines. Once I began to trust that rhythm, the shapes became more truly circular. I was actually inspired to do this having seen someone (whose name escapes me) who was doing a series of free-hand circles. As with all things, I suspect that one can train one's eye and hand ... practice makes (closer to) perfect.

As for the hopeful feather, I have to admit to a series of mental images: Sandhill cranes flying hundreds of miles, taking respite in the thermals above our floodplain --- turkeys taking a running start before improbably flying up into trees to roost --- crows "ark"ing their way overhead

But also buzzards wheeling above --- birds knocked senseless after flying into our windows --- the bloodied feathers of a woodpecker left behind by a feral cat --- and the awful end of a turkey hunted down by coyotes.

Artist websites

The Peace Pin Project

Click the peace pin picture to learn how the project began. To see more images of the original pins, which were sent to more than 70 individuals in half a dozen countries and 19 states in the US, scroll down to the INDEX and click on the PEACE PIN PROJECT link.

Mo's Project: "I dream of a world where love is the answer"

A collaborative effort in which creative souls around the world are making talismans to be stitched onto the branches of a dreaming tree. Just click the picture to see Mo's blog posts that will ultimately lead to her "Braille of the Soul" show at Artsite in March 2019. My contribution to the project can be tracked by going to the INDEX (below) and clicking on the link "I dream of a world where love is the answer."

Blanco River Monument Project

To learn more about the project go to http://www.blancorivermonument.com/ ... to read more on this blog, click the image.

The Hearts for Charleston Quilt Project

Click on the heart image (above) to see posts about the Hearts for Charleston project on Dee Mallon's blog. To see posts on this blog, click the Hearts for Charleston link in the INDEX.

It's a long way from Williamsburg, Virginia to the Texas Hill Country, but I've never looked back. Instead, my days are full of stitching, natural dyeing, assemblage art appreciation, grandparenting, cactus whacking, Americana music and Tex-Mex cooking ... not to mention wildflowers and critters.
As local bard Robert Earl Keen says, "The road goes on forever & the party never ends."